"Damnit! How could we be so stupid?" Naruto hissed, kicking the door, causing a loud, metallic sound to echo throughout the false prison.

"Shh! Someone's going to here us!" Sasuke hissed, shooting a coal-black glare at Naruto, who was still making a fuss.

While they argued and complained about our failure, I kept turning Kakashi's forehead protector over and over in my hand, examining it as if it would give me answers to our problem. I stopped and stared down at my reflection in the metal, interrupted by the Leaf symbol. My gaze then flickered to the off-green vest that Sasuke still held in his arms. Suddenly, something took over me, and I pulled it away from him, then held it closely to me, knowing this was the closest thing to being near my dear friend that I had been in a very long time. Too long, actually.

"Nikki?" Sasuke's smooth voice rung in my ears. I'd been caught. Heaving a huge sigh - as big as my faulty lungs would allow - I turned to look at him. I made eye contact for one brief second, before a spark flicked in my head. Funny, Sasuke gave me an idea.

"I've got an idea on how to get Kakashi, and how to rid this village of its invaders." I said with a smirk, tying the headband around my forehead proudly.

"Oh, I don't like the sound this..." Sakumo groaned.

I watched Sasuke, Naruto and Sakumo walk into the very busy bar, both boys disguised as the guards we had taken out. They looked like they would blend in, except for the fact that they were fourteen, heading into a bar - and to do what, exactly? Oh well, I was probably eleven the first time I had snuck some alcohol from Kakashi.

Counting to about two hundred in my head, I waited and watched the stars, making sure it didn't look like I had followed the duo - or is it trio? - into the bar. Honestly, I was amazed how in another situation - or another personality for that matter - I would have probably just waited until I got anxious, too lazy to actually time it out. But not now. Now, I actually timed it out, before barging right into the bar, with a very loud, entrance. Just as I had planned.

"Alright, which one of you is in charge here?" I yelled out, glaring each and every grubby man in the eye.

"And who the hell are you to come barging right in, Leaf brat?" Somebody spat back at me, but I didn't see who.

"Doesn't matter. But I will tell you this; I'm a Jounin of the Leaf village. You guys have pushed it too far, and I'm looking for your leader." Nice, right? Just wait, they'll see I wasn't even close to being nice to these assholes.

"And what are you going to do if we don't?"

"This." I said as I pulled out a kunai, with the special little piece of paper attached. I smirked, and tossed the weapon at the bar, and laughed as it exploded, sending glass and gray smoke everywhere. Crazy? Me? Possibly. Hey, who wouldn't be at this point?

That's when they knew I was dead serious. "Now you better cough up the damn info, 'cause I have plenty more where that came from, and I sure as hell won't be as nice next time." I hissed, pulling three more out. Immediately, the men closest to me shrunk back in alarm. No more joking around from me. I was dead serious, and by dead, I mean ready to kill. The darkest depths of my being had finally been released after weeks of this mental torture raging inside, threatening to rip me apart.

"We ain't gonna rat out to a bitch like you." A large man hissed as he approached, his footsteps loud and booming throw the cramped bar.

"Wasn't expecting to get an answer without a fight." I said, tossing the kunai at his feet. He jumped back right as the explosion set off, and the smoke billowed out and engulfed the room.

"Get her!"

"Where the hell is that bitch?"

Then, of course, came the attack I was expecting; hands around my wrist, pulling at my hair, kunai to neck, etc. etc. I was insanely outnumbered, and way in over my head, so I wasn't surprised. In fact, I was delighted, over-joyed, ecstatic even, but I couldn't show it. So instead, I swallowed that feeling, and quickly switched it with another; anger, defeat, embarrassment even.

"Did you really expect to beat us little girl?" A voice hissed in my ear, sending chills down my spine. I'm guessing this was the leader. Don't know why, but he struck me that way. I guess really it didn't matter though; it wasn't my job to find the leader.

"I've had enough of the bullshit from you leaf shinobis. You guys think you're so tough, don't you? We'll see how tough you really are." He said as he held my wrists together with a grip that threatened to break my wrists; the blood flow was already gone anyways. As he pushed me out of the bar, I chanced to look over at Sasuke and Naruto, who were staring right back at me. I'll be fine. I mouthed, before tuning my head forward again.

He led me straight to the real jail, without even bothering to blindfold me or anything. They were smart and dumb at the same time. Anyways, as he shoved me along the path, I took the time to study every landmark, every nook and cranny, plotting it out in my head. This was going to be a cinch!

As he unlocked the prison door, I got a slight glimpse of the large room. Then he threw me in, and slammed the door shut, and it was dark. I landed with a thud, and an 'oof' escaped my lips as I pushed myself up on hands and knees. "Ass..." I muttered, glaring back at the door.

"Nikki?" A surprised voice asked from not too very far away. My eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet, but I didn't need them. I knew who it was. Within seconds, he had scooped me up in his arms, and I held him tightly, terrified that if I let go, he would disappear again.

"I missed you so much..." I said, my voice cracking as I felt the hot tears burn at my eyes. Instead of holding them back, I let them roll, as I buried my head in his chest, needing to feel him there with me after the long absence.

"Shhh, don't cry Baby-doll. I'll never leave you again." Baby-doll... That was his nickname for me that he stole from my dad. Funny, I could never imagine anybody else calling me that besides Kakashi. Oh, what does it matter? I guess I am going crazy.

"You better not, or you're in big trouble." I joked, getting a chuckle out of him too. We pulled away, but he took my hand and pulled me through the darkness to a corner all for ourselves. He sat down, I sat on his lap. He held my hand, I held his tighter. We were a couple again - not like we had ever stopped, but hey, a few weeks away from your loved one, and it felt like you had broken up or something! Honestly, I wanted to say screw the plans, I'm just going to sit here with him until we finally decided we are all caught up on everything we missed - not just what one did without the other, but what we missed doing together - until I decided in a prison cell with a bunch of other people probably wasn't the best idea.

Still, not a single thought of the plan passed through my head that night. It was more like, Kakashi, Kakashi, Kakashi, going through my head. And I could care less about everything else when I finally pulled down the mask, and plunged into a world that hadn't been explored for awhile. I don't even think he realized I wore his headband and vest the whole night.